My Favorite Coping skills

How this therapist copes.

Pet an animal   

I have a tortie cat named Ghosty. She has some tortitude but she is a great cuddle and I can almost feel my cortisol levels decreasing when she is on my lap purring or making biscuits. 

Gentle self-talk 

Just because I am a therapist does not mean I am immune to negative self talk. Its actually a pretty universally normal thing. Some gentle self talk can be a great way to counter the negative and give yourself a moment of grace. 

Challenging my Negative self talk

Thoughts are not facts. We all have a million thoughts a day and only some of them are true. Challenging them is effective and practical. 

White noise

This is an Adhd coping skill that I use regularly. My favorites are train noises. Youtube has a bunch. When I have notes to finish or some other of the more boring parts of being a therapist, train sounds or some other “white noise” allows me to focus and complete my work. 

Dance yourself to coping

Sometimes coping doesn’t look quiet or calm  sometimes it looks like moving your body on purpose. Dancing lets energy move through instead of getting stuck. One song is enough. I don’t need choreography or rhythm; I just need motion. It’s a fast way to reconnect with my body and shake loose whatever tension has been building.

Go for a short walk 

This pretty much got me through undergrad. This is one of the simplest and most underrated coping skills. A short walk changes sensory input, shifts perspective, and gives my nervous system something predictable and regulating to do. 

Yoga

Yoga gives me a way to be in my body without needing words. Even a few gentle stretches or grounding poses help me notice where I’m holding tension and release it intentionally. It’s less about flexibility and more about checking in with myself in a slower, more deliberate way.

Do the easiest task first

When I feel overwhelmed, starting with the “most important” thing can backfire. Doing the easiest task first helps me build momentum and lowers the activation around getting started. Progress, even small progress, is regulating.

Good Enough is Good Enough 

I had a supervisor when I was earlier in my career always tell me “good enough is good enough”. Perfectionism is not a coping skill. Letting something be good enough protects my energy and keeps me from burning out. Done is often better than perfect, and meeting myself with realistic expectations is an act of care, not failure.

-Norman C